Manipur: Biren Singh says he's just 'ordinary worker' as BJP hints at 2nd term

J.P. Nadda, Sambit Patra have indicated Biren Singh will lead the party

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R There has been speculation the BJP could announce a new chief minister in Manipur if it wins a second term in the coming assembly polls. However, over the past week, senior party leaders have indicated incumbent Chief Minister N. Biren Singh could get another term in the saddle.

On Thursday, BJP chief J.P. Nadda credited Biren Singh with bringing development to Manipur. At a poll rally, Nadda asked people to vote for BJP candidates “because through them N. Biren Singh with all the other MLAs will take Manipur further towards development”, NDTV reported.

Earlier this week, Sambit Patra, the BJP in-charge for Manipur, explicitly claimed Biren Singh would be the CM if the BJP won. “We take a lot of pride to acknowledge that BJP is contesting elections under the able leadership of Biren Singh ji because of the good governance and development that his government has provided. There is no doubt in our minds that we will win with a two-thirds majority and form the government under your leadership,” Patra was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Despite the favourable statements by BJP leaders, Biren Singh has been circumspect. In an interaction with News 18, published on Friday morning, Biren Singh said he was “just an ordinary karyakarta (worker)... I am working hard. That is my job. The rest is decided by the party’s central leadership. I will do whatever I am asked to do. We will win, that’s for sure”. Biren Singh declared the BJP would definitely cross 40 seats (in the 60-member assembly). He rubbished the Congress's claims of the BJP “buying” MLAs. “The BJP does not take people, they come to the BJP because they have understood that the Congress does not perform. After joining the BJP, they are seeing how development is taking place. So more people are coming to the BJP. The Congress has no future,” Biren Singh said.